FAITH

In The New Republic Leon Wieseltier takes aim at Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s comments regarding the need to face the future on our knees. “This country was not built by people on their knees. It was built by people on their feet, with their hands as they were guided by their minds,” says Wieseltier.

The biblical truth is neither faith nor works. It is faith and works. The people, who founded our great country, were on their knees, before they got to their feet and did the building.

James 2:14-26 (HCSB) (14) What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food (16) and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? (17) In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. (18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. (19) You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder. (20) Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? (21) Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. (23) So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. (24) You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.